PARIS (TIP): Top seed and defending champion Serena Williams cruised into the French Open third round with a 6-2, 6-1 win over Teliana Pereira of Brazil.

It was a routine victory for the world number one that keeps her on course to win a 22nd Grand Slam title and equal the modern day record of 22 set by Steffi Graf in Paris in 1999.

“Today I played very well and I am happy to have won,” Williams said in brief courtside comments before making way for big sister Venus who was next up on Court Suzanne Lenglen against another American, Louisa Chirico.

The three-time winner of the French Open needed just 66 minutes to see off the challenge of the world number 81, who was bidding to reach the third round of a Grand Slam tournament for the first time.

The 34-year-old American will next go up against the winner of the tie between France‘s Kristina Mladenovic and Timea Babos of Hungary with a place in the last 16 at stake. (AFP)